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16th at Bullecourt, a cross section of the Battalion
16th at Bullecourt, a cross section of the Battalion
On the 11th of April 1917, Australian forces attacked a sector of the Hindenberg line between Bullecourt and Queant. The 16th Battalion A.I.F. was one of four Battalions of the 4th Brigade involved in the attack. The initial advance was successful with the Brigade taking it's 1st and 2nd objectives into the 2nd line German trenches albeit with many casualties. However the hold was tenuous, enfilading machine gun fire made resupply impossible and the attackers soon began to run out of ammunition. A succession of fierce counterattacks eventually drove the Australians back to their own lines, by this time 75% of the 16th were either wounded or dead. The 16th went into the fight with 20 officers and 797 other ranks, the battalion lost in this one day's fighting 17 officers and 623 other ranks, dead, wounded and prisoners of war. The losses in the 4th Brigade as a whole were similarly high, 79 officers and 2,260 other ranks. This community attempts to reconstruct the battalion as it was on the day of the battle, starting with known casualties and survivors I am steadily checking service records of men of the 16th to identify the others who were wounded or captured, it will be interesting to see how many of the reported 817 who were in the attack I can identify. Those not in the attack, whether in the Battalion HQ or not with the Battalion (ie sick, wounded or training in England) will be listed in another community as I cross check. The deadline is upon us there is sadly not enough time to complete the cross checking so this community will remain an unfinished work.
Created by: , Fife3190
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Born 1873
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6238 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about William Samuel Ezekiel Buckingham -
Born 1898
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 5998 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about James Newman Brealey -
Born 1893
Australian Imperial Force 1753 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 4th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 1753 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company
Australian Imperial Force 1753 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Arthur Langford -
Born 1895
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6516 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Paul Franklin Joseph Goodchild -
Born 1892
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 4269 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Arthur Clarence Evans -
Born 1895
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 5430 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Alfred Christopher Daniel Sims -
Born 1889
Australian Imperial Force 3545 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
Australian Imperial Force 3545 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 11th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 3545 Company Sergeant Major 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Albert Agar Reed -
Born 1884
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 5790 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about John Tregerthen Short -
Born 1893
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 1360
Australian Imperial Force 5799 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Henry Thomas Cowley -
Born 1890
Australian Imperial Force 6358 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 20th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6358 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 20th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6358 Acting Sergeant 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 20th Reinforcements
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More about Horace Rumble -
Born 1892
Australian Imperial Force 6476 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6476 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Alfred James Board -
Born 1878
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6568 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6568 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "A" Company
More about Sydney William Ruthven -
Born 1887
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 300 Private 16th Btn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company
Australian Imperial Force 300 Lance Corporal 16th Btn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
Australian Imperial Force 300 Sergeant 16th Btn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
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More about Stanley Brown Smith -
Born 1893
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 49 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Reginald Dunderdale -
Born 1893
Australian Imperial Force W244042
Australian Imperial Force Lieutenant 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 13th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force Captain 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about John Strachan Kerr -
Born 1889
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6492 Private 28th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 16th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6492 Private 63 Depot
Australian Imperial Force 6492 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements
More about William Fleming Campbell